Jon Huber, the former director of lifestyle marketing for C.A.O. International Inc., has formed a new cigar company with three other former employees of C.A.O. The new venture is called Crowned Heads LLC.

Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, where C.A.O. was located until it was moved to Virginia, Crowned Heads consists of Huber, Mike Conder, formerly C.A.O.'s senior VP of marketing; Michael Trebing, who served as C.A.O.'s creative media manager, and Nancy Heathman, who was C.A.O.'s graphic designer.

"It's going to be very different from what we did at C.A.O.," said Huber, who said Crowned Heads would be a boutique company that eschews titles, offices and cubicles. The company has begun to meet with tobacco brokers to develop a brand and by year's end it hopes to have a cigar with five sizes on the market. Huber said that having a cigar ready for the industry trade show in July was a "possibility, but not a probability," and said he would try to take cigar smokers "behind the scenes" to see how the company develops its products along the way.

We met Jon at our local shop Brookelynn Cigars in Wilmington NC. Very knowledgable in this idustry and I can't wait for the new line!

Good Luck Jon!

dkc

Cristina Milla Hangman February 23, 2011 9:06am ET

Congratulations Jon! Look forward to seeing your new cigar at Bakers in Napa when it is ready!

Grant Batson February 23, 2011 9:22am ET

Get busy, Jon. Nashville's ready for a good smoke again, bro.

stantine972March 9, 2011 7:47pm ET

Check out "Crowned Heads" web site. Jon has some blogs and there are some video interviews. It will be fun to follow a new company from square one. Can't wait to light up a "C. H." cigar. Grow tobacco grow!